My Home Is The Ocean
by ExtinctionOfReality
Summary: ZoSan Summary: He was sinking...sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, with no way for survival, no help, no extended hand... But for some reason, he didn't at all feel frightened. Soon, this would be his home, after all...


**Summary: **He was sinking...sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, with no way for survival, no help, no extended hand... But for some reason, he didn't at all feel frightened. Soon, this would be his home, after all...

**Pairing:** ZoSan (in its lightest form)

**Rating:** G, basically... I don't know.

**Warnings:** abstractness/weirdness

**Author's notes:** this is not a song fic, but it was inspired by a song _"Don't Fall Asleep At The Helm", Sleeping With Sirens_. People, go check out that song. It's freakin' amaaazing!

I dedicate this oneshot to none other than _**OccultDawn**_-dear, as an early eaaaarly Christmas giftie, haha.

It was fun to write...I am personally glad, for I missed writing too much. But that's all there is to it, unfortunately. *shrug*

**Disclaimer:** Don't own One Piece.

_**My Home Is The Ocean**_

The bright flash of lightning was the last thing he saw as he fell right into the depths of the ocean. Above water levels, loud noise filled the air: waves hitting the side of the ship, heavy rain pouring down - a huge mess of a storm. Here, in the depths, everything was silent and dark, lifeless and empty.

His body was heavy as he kept falling deeper, watching many small bubbles leave him, tickling the skin of his small hands and fingers. He tried to move, to find a way to get out or he was going to drown, but something was stopping him. Some force was holding him down, like an anchor, pulling him downwards.

And he didn't feel like struggling against it. Even though he knew he was going to start losing air in a matter of seconds, he didn't fight. He just continued sinking.

Lower...lower...

Eyes closed on their own.

He never understood what people meant when they talked about their entire life flashing before their eyes before death. But as he closed his eyes, random, fast-forwarded scenes appeared right before him in bright colors, a total opposite of what was in reality...

Realization hitting him in seconds...

He was cursed. Truly, this was the first thought that crossed his mind. It was karma, there was no other explanation. All of the bad things he did so far...he was paying for them with his life.

What irony it was... The vast ocean, the bright blue seas that he loved so much...were going to take his life away.

And he finally started thrashing for air, more bubbles leaving him, for there was no more left, eyes closed shut tightly as he tried to row back up to the surface... But his body was weakened and he couldn't manage. Panic took over as he reached out, eyes flung open in desperation, but there was nothing around. Nothing but darkness. No sound. No light.

Pure nothingness.

And slowly but surely, he gave up again, his body going numb, eyes closing once more, a different kind of darkness engulfing him. Body numb, he could feel nothing anymore, nor think. Passing out...he was going to die now...

But...a sudden nagging thought, the only one he got at this point, didn't leave him alone...

If only...if only he had a second chance... He would have done everything...differently.

There were many regrets in his heart...and he was willing to give everything away to correct it all.

Everything.

If only he could survive…

If only-

Someone was…singing?

A…beautiful female voice..? How strange... Was he hallucinating now..? Someone was indeed singing... But...how? There was nothing and no one around. Was it an angel? It was truly beautiful. He couldn't make out the words, but the quality of the voice was pleasant to the ears. So soft and blessing...

Who was it? Who could possibly sing underwater?

A mermaid..? A...siren..?

It was only getting louder and louder, closer and closer.

His fingers twitched as he tried to move, but it was no longer possible. More than likely, he was already either dead or ready to be taken to the world of the dead. What else could the singing possibly be..?

So tender...

He wanted to know the source...and he tried opening his eyes again. He did, but as soon as that happened, the singing stopped... And instead, there was a...

Shark?

He didn't have time to react as it attacked, so he closed his eyes again tightest, expecting pain, but instead, there was a hand and-

* * *

The sound of something heavy smashing the wooden floor sounded throughout the room, followed by a loud snarl and a growl.

Sanji's breathing was heavy as he hang unto the arm he saw previously, for dear life, eyes wide open, heart beating fast as he was trying to catch his breath, slowly coming to his senses and calming down.

A...dream? A nightmare..?

Whatever it was...thankfully, it was not real.

Taking a deep breath, he finally understood he was back, safe and sound, on Going Merry, in the shared room with his fellow nakama, on his way to Grand Line.

Although he had fallen off the hammock and was currently occupying the uncomfortable floor - he was glad.

But then it hit him...and his ears finally stopped ringing as he heard, "Goddammit, shitheaded cook! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Let go of my arm!"

Raising his head from the shoulder, not yet loosening his hold on the muscular arm, Sanji was met with a pissed off face of an algae...

"Do algae even have faces..?" he asked himself, deliberately doing that aloud, obviously receiving many grunts, curses and name-callings in return.

It took Zoro a few more minutes before he calmed down and went silent, Sanji lost in thought anyway, waking up slowly, so he wasn't even listening to the other to begin with.

The blond was still thinking over the crazy dream.

Silence stood in the air, only occasionally ruined by snores of the other two men who occupied the room and managed to sleep through the racket.

After about a minute, Zoro frowned, making himself more comfortable on the floor as he scratched the back of his head, watching as the blond still clutching his arm, in total confusion, "You gonna let go of my arm already, curly?"

Sanji didn't react and after a few more seconds, started shaking a bit. Zoro was even more confused, so he shook the cook's shoulder, "Oi!"

Sanji stopped shaking in an instant and snapped up, glaring at the other. And that was when the swordsman understood what happened, for it was all written in the blue orbs, "Did the little shitheaded cook have a nightmare?" he couldn't help but tease of course, smirking.

Sanji snorted at that and finally let go of the broad arm, "Like fuck, asshole! Mind your own damn business!"

Zoro tilted his head to the side, "Let me remind you that you were the one who woke me up," he scowled, "Stop fucking pissing me off and admit you got scared of a little dream!"

"I would rather die than do that you damn marimo!" Sanji snapped back, loudly, only for Luffy's snoring to get even louder, before it dulled down again as the blond stopped screaming. Jumping to his feet, Sanji said quieter, "This is ridiculous. I am going back to sleep," and he climbed back into his hammock, not daring to look Zoro in the face and turned away instantly.

It was actually pretty embarrassing, now that he thought about it. The fuck was he even doing? He clenched Zoro's arm as if it was the only thing on this entire planet. For hell's sake, why the marimo idiot? Couldn't it be the lovely mermaid or whatever woman, whose angelic voice he heard in the dream?

And what the hell was that shark about anyway?!

Gah! Pathetic!

Zoro blinked, totally dumbstruck at Sanji as he picked himself up from the floor. Standing there a second longer, he shrugged and climbed into his own hammock too, staring at the ceiling for a little while, hands folded under his head.

After a few minutes of silence, thinking over the situation a bit, he decided to add, "You know... I used to get nightmares too. I had to relive an old dear friend's of mine death over and over again. I watched her die one night after another in the same scenario," he paused a second, wondering if the cook was even listening to him, but decided to continue anyway, "Each time, I reached out to save her. But... I could never do it. Like I could never beat her, no matter how many challenges or times I tried," there was a shuffling sound as Sanji turned around, lying down on his other side to face Zoro, "I got so used to the nightmare I was no longer surprised if I dreamed it... Recently though," he looked at Sanji, "I haven't been getting any," he guessed why, but he decided not to say it. He would never remind anyone of his loss to Mihawk.

Sanji stared at Zoro silently as he concluded, "So you see, idiot cook, nightmares happen to anyone. They are not something to be ashamed of."

The cook raised an eyebrow, "Weren't you mad at me for waking you up? What's with the sudden change of heart, marimo?"

Zoro snorted, "Oh just fucking shut up for once, dartboard eyebrows."

And Sanji smiled, just that. This was kinda nice to hear. Who would have thought such a proud idiot would share something so deep with him, eh..?

Zoro simply snorted under his breath and looked back at the ceiling, smiling to himself too though.

It was a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere, quite a rarity between them. And for some reason, it was comforting.

Neither would admit to it, but they wouldn't change this for the world. They had a mutual, inner understanding of each other. That was somehow too weird to admit, but they knew it anyway.

They weren't really that different, truly...

"You know... I figured out why I dreamed a shark."

"A shark?"

"Yeah..."

"You fucking idiot got scared of a shark?"

"Shut up, shithead! It was not the shark...but I saw it in the end of the dream."

"Oh..?" Zoro blinked, "And why did you dream it? Were you hungry?"

Sanji frowned at the idiocy, "Nah. I was probably waking up by that time. I saw some algae on top of its head too."

Zoro lied there motionless for a little while, then his eyes widened in realization and he growled like an animal, "Fucking asshole of a cook!"

Sanji laughed and shrugged, turning around to finally go to sleep, "Goodnight, marimo," to which Zoro muttered a goodnight of his own.

After a few more minutes though, before they both fell asleep, he added, "And I once dreamed of a duck with a cigarette and a tie..."

_**The End.**_


End file.
